[Are vaginal pap smear necessary after total hysterectomy for CIN3?]

Abstract

The practice of vaginal smears after total hysterectomy should be discussed according to the indication for hysterectomy. We have thus performed a literature review using PubMed medical database with selection of articles presenting a practical interest for clinicians. The practice of vaginal smears after endometrial cancer can be abandoned, but in case of cervical cancer it improves the performance of clinical examination in the early follow-up (in the first 5 years of follow-up) especially in early diagnosis of subclinical recurrence. After this period, the interest of vaginal smears drop drastically and the follow-up is mainly clinical. When hysterectomy is proposed as part of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (particularly when associated uterine lesions and cervical conization not accessible), the risk of vaginal recurrence of HPV-induced pathology fully justifies an annual monitoring (recurrences or virus-induced lesions are seen up to 25 years after surgery). Finally, after hysterectomy for benign uterine non-HPV-induced, there is no need to propose a systematic follow-up cytology.